Two former paratroopers will appear before a court in Belfast later, charged with the murder of a man almost 50 years ago.

Official IRA man Joe McCann, 24, died after being shot in the Markets area of Belfast in 1972.

The veterans are referred to in court proceedings as soldiers A and C.

They will remain anonymous during the trial, which is expected to last for four weeks at Belfast Crown Court.

It is one of a number of legacy cases, referring to incidents which took place before the signing of the Belfast Agreement in 1998, on which Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service has taken decisions.